(WSNN) – An international student returns home, but not in the way he expected.
Nearly 50 airlines serving international destinations have cancelled 90 to 100 percent of their flights. Still, some travelers are finding a way home.
“It feels like I’m in a movie or like a video game. Never in a million years did I think a virus would have me not see my family, not graduate on a stage,” international student, Abdul Hameed Al-Qattan, said.
After a long five years of studying chemical engineering at USF, Abdul Hameed Al-Qattan returned home.
Kuwait’s government coordinated free flights for all Kuwaiti students in the U.S. Al-Qattan left the U.S. soil, May 4th.
“The process was pretty scary,” Al-Qattan said. “I’ve never seen an airport so empty. It was just me and 150 other Kuwaiti students from all over Florida.”
He said everyone wore masks and gloves. In line, they stood six feet apart and on the plane, they sat two seats apart.
Taking the free ride home came with a catch though. Al-Qattan agreed to be tracked and quarantined.
“As soon as I landed, they put this tracker on me,” Al-Qattan said. “I can’t take this off after 28 days until I’ve proven I have no symptoms and I’m fine, I’ve proven myself healthy.”
Al-Qattan tested negative so he was able to go home. But, he had to self-isolate for 14 days. And signs were placed outside his door to show residents he was under quarantine.
All in the name of keeping everyone safe.
“This is how the Ministry of Health is monitoring everybody that’s come from abroad, especially the United States, to make sure we’re not leaving our homes, going to associate with our friends or our family,” Al-Qattan said. “We have about a thousand new cases a day. So, in order to get that down to zero cases a day, this is one of several strict measures Kuwait’s implemented to make sure everyone is practicing social distancing and is safe and is not actively or unconsciously spreading the virus.”
Al-Qattan keeps track of his ‘coronavirus status’ through an app.
“It lets me know like how many days I have left to self-isolate,” Al-Qattan said. “Every now and then I have to talk a selfie to prove to the government I’m at home. And a doctor will send me a message asking how you’re feeling.”
Al-Qattan says he’s happy to be in touch with medical professionals in case any symptoms to pop up.
Since he’s stuck in his room, his family brings him food.
“It’s kind of like a prison life-cycle where you’re kind of in a cell in a sense and they bring the food to you, and that’s about the only interaction you get,” Al-Qattan said.
But he understood its a necessity knowing symptoms show up after 14 days.
“I don’t want to unknowingly transmit it to my father or my sister or anyone who may be immunocompromised in my family,” Al-Qattan said.
Nonetheless, Al-Qattan keeps himself busy.
“I send emails to and from my professors,” Al-Qattan said. “I talk to my friends to try to keep my mind busy, I do a lot of Netflix. I’ve been doing some reading.”
Al-Qattan plans to return to the U.S. to pursue his masters from the University of Florida in the Fall.